Some of the wonderful dishes I tasted during last year’s RCMP events
Montreal food lovers rejoice, Royal Canadian Mondays at Pastaga [RCMP] are back!
For the second year in a row, Restaurant Pastaga‘s chef Martin Juneau is inviting some of Canada’s best chefs for an evening of gastronomic delight. The 2014 special RCMP events started with a bang this past January 20th with the Paris Popup, an incredible evening of great food and wine created by British chef Harry Cummins and Montreal-born sommelière Laura Vidal. Both Cummins and Vidal are alumni of Paris restaurant Frenchie where they met, fell in love and initiated their Paris Popup events. After 7 nomadic gastronomic episodes of pop-ups in the city of lights, their first international destination was Pastaga. The talented couple has since embarked on a world tour of pop-up delights which you can keep up to date with by following their Facebook page.
This year’s first RCMP, Paris Popup: Scallop, black garlic & black sesame / Venison, beets & red cabbage / Chef Martin Juneau with sommelière Laura Vidal & chef Harry Cummins / Carrot & goat cheese
Four more RCMP events are scheduled at Pastaga until the month of April. Each guest chef will take over Pastaga’s kitchen for one evening and will have carte blanche when it comes to the running of each event. The delicious RCMP nights are a great way to travel across the country on a discovery journey of some of Canada’s best culinary talents without ever leaving the comfort of your hometown. I attended all of last year’s events and they ended up being some of my most memorable meals of the year. The guest chefs will each create a 6-course, $60 special menu for the evening, with wine pairing available for an extra $40. Below is this year’s impressive line-up:
February 17, 2014
Calgary’s CHARCUT Roast House with chefs John Jackson and Connie DeSouza
Nominated as one of one of Canada’s Top 10 Best New Restaurants by enRoute magazine in 2010.
February 24, 2014
Calgary’s Model Milk with chef Justin Leboe
Nominated as one of one of Canada’s Top 10 Best New Restaurants by enRoute magazine in 2012.
March 24, 2014
St-John’s Mallard Cottage with chef Todd Perrin
Please note that the April date and chef have not been confirmed yet.
What I find most fascinating about these events – apart from the incredible food, of course – is their uniqueness and the palpable camaraderie of the chefs in the kitchen. From the minute you step into Pastaga, you can feel a certain special excitement in the air. The ambiance is always exhilarating and as much fun in the dining room as it is in the kitchen. The chefs are all happy to be there working together for this exclusive event and the diners are happy to be on the delicious receiving end of all that love.
Spots are limited so reserve your table early by calling Pastaga at 438 381 6389.
Follow the RCMP Facebook page to stay up to date on the latest news.
